Well, this is officially my first blog post. I really should have started this back in September when I was heading to Nigeria. Many things have happened since then, so this first blog will be a quick recap of past adventures and leading up to where I am today.
September 1st marked my first participation in a medical mission trip, and it certainly won't be the last. I feel absolutely blessed to have been a part of the amazing work that was done over there. Initially, I had promised to keep a blog while I was there, but because the internet was so sketchy and my emotions were too intense to even write, I wasn't able to keep my promise. Nigeria changed me more than I could ever describe. I didn't realize until I returned home that this is something I want to do for as long as I am physically able to. My experiences there will never be forgotten, and I wait for the day when I can return. There is another trip coming up in March, and I will do everything in my power to make sure I am on that plane.
Before the trip to Nigeria, I had accepted a job as an Au Pair for a family in Denmark. This new chapter in my life started on October 31st when I flew from Seattle to Aalborg. The job was supposed to last for 6 months, and then I planned to backpack around Europe for 3 months after that. As most of you already know, plans didn't work out exactly as I had hoped.
At the beginning of December, I was blessed with an escape from my difficult situation in Denmark. Through the same website I used before, I met a wonderful British family living in Morillon, France. They have two young girls; Ella who is 5, and Emie who is 3. Toni and Jez were ready to welcome me into their home, so 2 weeks before Christmas, I packed up and headed for the beautiful French Alps. It is now January 4th, and again I will be moving on in a week. This was not my decision, and part of me is disappointed. However, I know that everything happens for a reason, so I have faith that something amazing is waiting for me when I return home.
On Monday I take the train to Paris. Even though my trip has been cut extremely short, and I won't get to see much of Europe at all, I am so grateful to be able to spend a little bit of time exploring Paris. Since I started French lessons when I was 15, I dreamed of one day going there. Now that day has almost arrived. After enjoying almost 5 days in Paris, I will be heading home on the 14th and ending this strange and challenging journey.
This last week has brought with it a wide range of emotions. I'm torn between being grateful to be going home and lamenting the all too quick ending of a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will be so happy to see my family again (I fly home just in time for my niece's 1st birthday!), but I will shed a few tears knowing that I'll be leaving behind adventures I didn't get to experience. However, I do have some things I will be taking away from this, both good and bad. Many things were learned in these two and half months, from the very simple- if I ever own a house, I will NEVER have white flooring, it shows everything- to the more complex- sometimes, even though people may ask for honesty, it doesn't always mean they're able to hear the truth. I learned that when I really need to, I am able to stand up for myself and not be pushed around. I learned to accept some things as they are, even if I don't like it. I experienced loneliness like never before, fear, my first Christmas away from home, doubt, and heartache that won't go away. I experienced new foods, traveling by myself, the welcoming arms of strangers, crazy French holiday festivities, and skiing on Christmas day in the Alps. I stumbled many times along the way, hurt myself, and hurt the person who was trying to keep me standing up. Nothing was perfect, not much was how I planned or hoped, but in a small way I was able to adapt and change that plan as best as I could. It's just another chapter I am adding to my story.
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